Mental Health

Reality! Who Needs It?

Individuals in recovery generally spend a lot of time avoiding their painful, shameful, or fearful reality. Using chemicals, relationships, busyness, spending, eating, not eating, fantasy, gambling, sex, etc., to escape reality. What is your reality anyway? As a baby, your brain was receptive, and you downloaded and duplicated everything around… Read More

Let’s Bring Awareness To ADHD

October is ADHD Awareness month and for people without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder it can be difficult to grasp what it feels like for those who do. Individuals with ADHD may hear people flippantly say, “Everyone is a little bit ADHD” or dismiss their experience without compassion. However, contrary to popular misconception, ADHD is not a new term nor a medical fad. The medical condition was first mentioned in 1902 by British pediatrician Sir George Still who described “an abnormal defect of moral control in children.” He noticed that some children were unable to control their behavior the way a typical child would but were still intelligent. Read More

Adopted Children Often Face Mental Health Struggles as Young Adults

By GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC Adoption is a delicate process that comes with many different considerations. The relationship between an adopted child and his or her adopted parents is unique, and in many ways unlike that between parents and their biological children. It is difficult to predict how a child… Read More

What Happens to Young Adults with ADHD?

By Krysha Thayer Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short, is a mental health disorder that is most commonly found in children between the ages of 4 and 17. Upon entering young adulthood, it is common for people who have been diagnosed with ADHD to grow out… Read More

Approach ‘13 Reasons Why’ with Curiosity Instead of Fear

By Lindsay Merrell, Therapist, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows Since the years of my internship, working with patients facing suicidal thoughts has been concerning, challenging, and inspiring. Individuals struggling with such hopelessness come to professionals in desperate need of relief from what is starting to feel like an inevitable outcome. Our responsibility as professionals is to be persistently and empathically interested in the individual’s struggle. Our curiosity gives them the courage to look at the very pain they fear. Read More

All of the Feels: Accepting the Gifts of Emotion

By Brenna Gonzales, MS, LPC, Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows Therapist In our culture, we are taught that certain feelings are off-limits. There is a general sense that if you’re not happy most of the time that you’re doing life wrong. Read More

Young Adults Are More Likely to Develop Seasonal Affective Disorder

January. The excitement of the holidays is over. It’s time to return to your college classes after a nice, long break. For those in northern climates, there’s also less sunlight and painfully cold temperatures to contend with. It’s completely normal to feel a little bummed out about it all, right? Read More

Kid Cudi, Shame, and Depression

Hip-hop artist and actor Kid Cudi announced yesterday that he is currently receiving treatment for depression and suicidal thoughts. In a Facebook post he said, “It’s been difficult for me to find the words to what I’m about to share with you because I feel ashamed…” Read More